U.S. and allied special forces units tire of praetorian guard duties for Bush administration and its neocon task masters.
March 14, 2006 -- Special Operations leaders gather for glum meeting. The 17th Annual Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC) conference, sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), commenced yesterday in Crystal City, Virginia, across the Potomac from Washington. Unlike previous conferences during the Balkans War and in the aftermath of 9-11, this conference was marked by glum and gloomy predictions, especially regarding Iraq and a possible future conflict with Iran.
Retired Lt. Gen. Patrick Hughes, the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and Deputy Homeland Security Secretary for Information Analysis, urged the Pentagon the tell the truth to the media, academia, and the general public, in addition to calling for a "new public affairs initiative." Hughes said the U.S. is losing the psychological battle and said there are some similarities between Iraq and Vietnam and Somalia. The U.S. beat a hasty withdrawal from both Vietnam and Somalia after severe battlefield reversals.
Hughes also called for new language training initiatives for U.S. intelligence and special operations forces in Farsi, the North Korean dialect of Korean, and all Chinese dialects, in addition to "commercial Mandarin."
Col. Nick Davies, MBE, MC, the Deputy Commander of UK Special Forces gingerly discussed the issue of declining morale among Special Operations personnel in Iraq and problems between allied and US troops who increasingly advocate Christian evangelical causes and propaganda. Davies was asked about British SAS soldier Ben Griffin who, after spending three months in Baghdad, refused to go into any more combat and quit the army. Instead of facing a court martial, Griffin was given a discharge with honors. Griffin told his commanding officer, "I didn't join the British army to conduct American foreign policy." Davies, asked about Griffin and the influence of evangelicals among U.S. forces in Iraq, said Iraq is not a "long term investment" and British troops would not be kept there "forever." Davies conceded that the activities of some U.S. troops in Iraq may "encourage others to take up arms against the U.S."
One retired senior US Army Special Forces general criticized the Bush administration for "tearing up the first ten amendments of the US Constitution" and "throwing them into the trash can."
French Special Operations Commander Gen. Benoit Puga revealed that France sent special operations troops to the Persian Gulf, in addition to Afghanistan, in the wake of 9-11. Dutch and Australian special operations senior commanders emphasized the role of their respective special operations units in addressing "failed and weak" states, which in the case of some Pacific island states, African nations, and Caribbean countries like Haiti and Suriname, is a code phrase for reintroducing colonialism and patronizing international governance regimes. Both the Dutch and Australian special operations forces commanders, as well as the deputy commander of Polish special operations forces, emphasized the roles of their forces in coordinating with the United States. Australian Acting Deputy Special Operations Commander Col. Mal Rerden described Australia's new Joint Offshore Protection Command (JOPC), which is involved in maritime and naval security operations in Australia's near abroad -- Indonesia and other offshore island states and territories. In Poland's case, its cooperation with the United States includes the use of Polish special operations and special police forces in former Warsaw Pact and other Eastern European nations, including Bosnia and Kosovo.
U.S. and allied special forces units tire of praetorian guard duties for Bush administration and its neocon task masters.
This year's conference was highlighted by the number of foreign military officers. They included special operations officers from Croatia, Morocco, Poland, South Korea, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Jordan, Nigeria, and Pakistan, among other nations.
One new exhibition item being pushed was strongly caffeinated chewing gum, used by overly-fatigued special operations and other personnel to give them a rush while on special missions.
Link Here
Retired Lt. Gen. Patrick Hughes, the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and Deputy Homeland Security Secretary for Information Analysis, urged the Pentagon the tell the truth to the media, academia, and the general public, in addition to calling for a "new public affairs initiative." Hughes said the U.S. is losing the psychological battle and said there are some similarities between Iraq and Vietnam and Somalia. The U.S. beat a hasty withdrawal from both Vietnam and Somalia after severe battlefield reversals.
Hughes also called for new language training initiatives for U.S. intelligence and special operations forces in Farsi, the North Korean dialect of Korean, and all Chinese dialects, in addition to "commercial Mandarin."
Col. Nick Davies, MBE, MC, the Deputy Commander of UK Special Forces gingerly discussed the issue of declining morale among Special Operations personnel in Iraq and problems between allied and US troops who increasingly advocate Christian evangelical causes and propaganda. Davies was asked about British SAS soldier Ben Griffin who, after spending three months in Baghdad, refused to go into any more combat and quit the army. Instead of facing a court martial, Griffin was given a discharge with honors. Griffin told his commanding officer, "I didn't join the British army to conduct American foreign policy." Davies, asked about Griffin and the influence of evangelicals among U.S. forces in Iraq, said Iraq is not a "long term investment" and British troops would not be kept there "forever." Davies conceded that the activities of some U.S. troops in Iraq may "encourage others to take up arms against the U.S."
One retired senior US Army Special Forces general criticized the Bush administration for "tearing up the first ten amendments of the US Constitution" and "throwing them into the trash can."
French Special Operations Commander Gen. Benoit Puga revealed that France sent special operations troops to the Persian Gulf, in addition to Afghanistan, in the wake of 9-11. Dutch and Australian special operations senior commanders emphasized the role of their respective special operations units in addressing "failed and weak" states, which in the case of some Pacific island states, African nations, and Caribbean countries like Haiti and Suriname, is a code phrase for reintroducing colonialism and patronizing international governance regimes. Both the Dutch and Australian special operations forces commanders, as well as the deputy commander of Polish special operations forces, emphasized the roles of their forces in coordinating with the United States. Australian Acting Deputy Special Operations Commander Col. Mal Rerden described Australia's new Joint Offshore Protection Command (JOPC), which is involved in maritime and naval security operations in Australia's near abroad -- Indonesia and other offshore island states and territories. In Poland's case, its cooperation with the United States includes the use of Polish special operations and special police forces in former Warsaw Pact and other Eastern European nations, including Bosnia and Kosovo.
U.S. and allied special forces units tire of praetorian guard duties for Bush administration and its neocon task masters.
This year's conference was highlighted by the number of foreign military officers. They included special operations officers from Croatia, Morocco, Poland, South Korea, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Jordan, Nigeria, and Pakistan, among other nations.
One new exhibition item being pushed was strongly caffeinated chewing gum, used by overly-fatigued special operations and other personnel to give them a rush while on special missions.
Link Here
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 6:34 PM
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